Electric Light and Power

News about Electric Light and Power, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 24, 2015

State-owned Israel Electric Corporation briefly reduces power to West Bank districts Nablus and Jenin in response to growing Palestinian debt, which is product of financial crisis caused by Israel's withholding of tax revenues after Palestinian Authority attempted to join International Criminal Court. MORE

Feb. 1, 2015

Op-Ed article by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie describes troubles she has at her home in Nigeria with electricity, which is common problem as government has failed to provide necessary infrastructure; expresses hope that upcoming elections will result in government that can provide for stable electrical grid and handle ongoing security concerns. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Science Q&A explains how ornamental water fountains worked before electricity. MORE

Dec. 26, 2014

Letter from former Sen Judd Gregg comments on Dec 14 article about rising prices at New England utility companies. MORE

Dec. 22, 2014

Plans for energy storage systems are gaining ground in California as a cost efficient substitute for upgrading power plants; Southern California Edison invited proposals that will use conventional batteries and huge ice packs for storage. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Environmental Protection Agency announces first federal guidelines for management and disposal of coal ash from power plants to protect water supply; some environmentalists say new regulations are too lax. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Op-Ed article by author Clark Strand says that despite technological advances that proliferated after the introduction of electric light, humans still need darkness to connect with each other, to sleep deeply and to dream. MORE

Dec. 14, 2014

Utility companies in New England, which already has highest electricity rates in 48 contiguous states, are raising prices and stunning customers with amount of increases; New England has no fossil fuels of its own and imports all gas, oil, and coal but increases seem unreasonable given that global oil prices have dropped to their lowest levels in years, and natural gas is cheap and plentiful. MORE

Dec. 6, 2014

Smart meters that talk directly to electricity providers have potential to usher in so-called dynamic pricing, which is intended to benefit electrical systems by reducing demands during peak hours; dynamic pricing is still many years away despite federal subsidies that have helped finance switch to so-called smart grid because most customers and public service commissions are simply not ready for the change. MORE

Nov. 28, 2014

Plans by New York State to add new power lines and towers in Hudson Valley to relieve congestion and costs during heat waves worry area residents over possibility of spoiled views and loss of property; seven counties and 25 town in the area would be affected by proposals from power companies. MORE

Nov. 27, 2014

Litigation brought by power companies is challenging lauded government program that rewards customers for unplugging at peak consumption hours; program has saved customers money and lowered overall costs, but has reduced revenue for producers; issue, which has gained the attention of lawmakers, makes collision likely between companies that meet higher demand in peak hours by creating more power, and those that find a way to reduce demand. MORE

Nov. 26, 2014

Supreme Court will hear arguments over limits set by Environmental Protection Agency on emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. MORE

Nov. 24, 2014

Many residents of scenic Morro Bay, Calif, have been frustrated by presence of sixty-year-old Morro Bay Power Plant, but visibility of its 450-feet-high smokestacks was tolerated due to jobs and tax revenue it provided; closure of plant in February leaves community wondering what will become of structure, which has come to define coastline almost as much as towering cliffs for which region is named. MORE

Nov. 9, 2014

Op-Ed article by author Edward Hoagland describes living on a mountain without utilities for a third of every year, swinging back and forth to and from electrification; wonders whether humans lose an appreciation for nature by being dependent on electricity and electrical entertainments provided by the Internet. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Rules for integrating renewable energy into the power grid often add cost and reduce environmental effectiveness, producing strains in the electricity business. MORE

Sep. 4, 2014

The hiring of a chief restructuring officer was part of a deal reached last month between the electric authority and its creditors. MORE

Aug. 29, 2014

Pacific Gas and Electric Company reports Silicon Valley power substation near San Jose, Calif, that was attacked by a sniper in April 2013 is hit by thieves; unknown number of intruders cut through a fence and made off with power tools, a pipe bender and ground compactors; thieves did not appear to try to damage operating equipment. MORE

Aug. 15, 2014

Financial derivatives trading linked to congestion on New York State’s electric grid, market intended to protect power companies and ultimately benefit consumers, has made big profits for trading firms; across nation, investment funds and major banks are wagering billions of dollars on similar so-called congestion contracts, using computer algorithms and teams of PhDs as they chase profits in arcane area that rarely attracts attention. MORE

Jul. 30, 2014

White House Council of Economic Advisers releases analysis asserting that failing to adequately reduce carbon pollution that contributes to climate change could cost United States economy $150 billion a year; is part of White House’s effort to increase public support for Pres Obama’s climate-change agenda, chiefly an Environmental Protection Agency proposal targeting coal-fired power plants. MORE

Jul. 22, 2014

Many scientists say capturing carbon that spews from power plants and locking it away permanently is necessary to stave off worst effects of climate change; contend that for now, world is too dependent on fossil fuels to do anything less; Obama administration expects coal will produce nearly third of nation's electricity in 2030, down from 40 percent today (Series: The Big Fix). MORE

Jul. 19, 2014

United Nations say number of Gazans displaced by war to official shelters more than has doubled in 24 hours since Israeli ground invasion, from 22,000 to 47,000; hardships facing civilians deepen as Israel cuts off electricity it supplies to Gaza Strip. MORE

Jul. 18, 2014

Minnesota has mandated sharp reductions in energy use in every new state-financed building for more than a decade, and in renovated buildings for more than five years; those mandates includes new stadium for Minnesota Vikings; state has also set deadlines for utilities to increase amount of electricity generated from renewable sources. MORE

Jul. 18, 2014

Op-Ed article by David J Hayes, former deputy secretary of Interior Dept, notes that many American communities using diesel generators for electricity and heat would greatly benefit from small-scale renewable energy sources; describes how modular wind and solar energy systems under development would result in economic and quality-of-life benefits to many small, isolated communities across nation. MORE

Jul. 18, 2014

Indian Prime Min Narendra Modi has pledged to tackle host of economic problems, improve infrastructure and improve electricity supply in long-troubled city of Varanasi; effort is seen as case study for Modi's ambition to make improvements in vast swaths of country that have lagged behind cities like Mumbai and Bangalore in development. MORE

Jul. 11, 2014

Residents of several towns across New England are banding together in opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline that would slice through their communities; half of New England's electricity is now generated by burning natural gas, prompting officials to seek new ways to import fuel. MORE

Jun. 26, 2014

Pres Obama acknowledges that efforts to combat climate change, particularly regulations that would slash carbon pollution from cars and coal-fired power plants, could raise fuel and electricity prices. MORE

Jun. 24, 2014

Supreme Court largely upholds Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants, marking a big win for environmentalists; ruling comes even as court criticizes what it calls Obama administration's overreaching; combative tone of decision, along with court's rejection of one of EPA's rationales for regulations, suggests rocky road ahead for other initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. MORE

Jun. 24, 2014

Editorial praises Supreme Court for its affirmation of Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act; argues that case, brought by coalition of business interests and states, preserves government's ability to confront global warming while also demonstrating Congress's persistent failure to update the law to meet modern needs. MORE

Jun. 11, 2014

Chilean government commission rejects $8 billion proposal to dam Patagonian rivers to meet growing energy demands, handing a victory to environmentalists who praise the ruling. MORE

May. 27, 2014

Ethical Electric, start-up founded by former Washington political operative Tom Matzzie, allows customers to sign up for electricity from renewable green sources without physically changing anything in their businesses or homes; company, one of increasingly competitive group of such ventures, aims to capture slice of $140 billion in electricity sales. MORE

May. 15, 2014

Need to modernize New York State's energy grid is worrying some owners of historic homes and farms in Hudson Valley, who say changes will devalue region and cause possible health concerns. MORE

May. 13, 2014

Editorial welcomes proposal that would increasingly decentralize New York State's power grid, giving rise to smaller stations, many of which would use solar or wind power; says while change will be difficult, it could lead a national revolution in energy efficiency as concerns mount about pollution and global warming. MORE

May. 9, 2014

Pres Obama will announce handful of executive actions and private and nonprofit groups' investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy; initiatives will not amount to much in terms of energy policy or their impact on global warming, but are part of broader campaign to build public support for Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants; rule is expected to create new market for zero-carbon energy from sources like wind and solar. MORE

May. 5, 2014

New York State is proposing to turn its electric utilities into new kind of entity that would buy electricity from hundreds of thousands of small generators; state would set prices for that electricity and for the costs of running the power grid; proposal anticipates radially different electric system, dominated by decentralized production, much of if of renewable, intermittent energy sources. MORE

Apr. 22, 2014

Towering 70-foot-high wooden utility poles are being installed by PSEG Long Island along a five-mile project route from Port Washington to Great Neck; company maintains new poles are stronger and more resilient in storms than older poles and will increase power transmission; some area residents, angry at not being informed about new poles before they were installed, call them eyesores. MORE

Apr. 22, 2014

Energy industry offers potentially lucrative new market for drones, which can be used to monitor power lines, inspect oil and gas pipelines, check wind turbines and pinpoint malfunctioning solar panels. MORE

Apr. 22, 2014

Experts say energy storage is crucial to transforming the electrical grid into clean, sustainable low-emissions system, but they note that storage in the form of batteries is years from being feasible; one of the ways to store bulk amounts of energy available at the moment is with cold or heat, using ice or molten salt. MORE

Apr. 20, 2014

FYI column on whether Wyatt Earp's wife was Jewish woman from New York and laws governing use of electrical cords in city. MORE

Apr. 11, 2014

Pacific Gas & Electric, with no apparent progress in determining who attacked an electric substation in Silicon Valley in 2013, offers $250,000 reward for information. MORE

Apr. 10, 2014

Energy Department's inspector general reports that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may not have adequate controls to protect information that could be used to sabotage the national power grid. MORE

Mar. 21, 2014

Emerging technologies are allowing wind industry to lower its prices to compete with conventional energy sources like coal, and to transform areas of the Midwest, once thought too expensive, into wind powerhouses; taller machines spinning longer blades are allowing companies to capture the faster winds that blow at higher elevations, and one start-up is preparing to introduce the first airborne wind turbine, known as a BAT. MORE

Mar. 13, 2014

North American Electric Reliability Corporation finds that nearly all utilities that participated in a two-day exercise in November, 2013, say they were insufficiently prepared for online and physical attacks against the power grid. MORE

Mar. 11, 2014

Millions of consumers, as harshest winter in years ends, are facing increased energy bills; there may not be relief in future winters, as coal-fired power plants that utilities have relied on to meet surge in demand are shuttered for environmental reasons; sticker shock has been particularly acute in Northeast. MORE

Mar. 4, 2014

North Carolina regulators say that five power plants owned by Duke Energy have been cited for violating water pollution laws, three days after announcing similar action against Duke’s plant in Eden, NC, where 39,000 tons of coal ash fouled the Dan River; citations could lead to fines of $25,000 per day for each of six plants. MORE

Feb. 21, 2014

Massachusetts regulators accept plan to let natural gas-fired power plant be built, with carbon dioxide emissions to be gradually reduced until it closes by 2050; Conservation Law Foundation and Footprint Power reach agreement over $800 million plant. MORE

Feb. 20, 2014

Supreme Court is poised to decide whether the Obama administration went too far in trying to regulate emissions from stationary sources like power plants; in deciding the case, they are likely to weigh in on a central Republican critique that Pres Obama is misusing his executive authority. MORE

Feb. 20, 2014

Block in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan is closed down after stray voltage temporarily electrifies streets; Avenue of the Americas between 26th and 27th Streets was closed to traffic and pedestrians until workers determine the source of electricity. MORE

Feb. 18, 2014

John J McAvoy is about to take over as chief executive of Consolidated Edison, New York CIty's main provider of electricity; steps into role just as New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo is pressuring state utility regulators to deny company's request for a $450 million increase in its rates. MORE

Feb. 18, 2014

Duke Energy says it will get out of wholesale power generation business in the Midwest because the financial results are too volatile. MORE

The first 18 players on the course prepared for their rounds in near or total darkness, which was easy to overlook on a day when afternoon gusts swept several of the world’s best golfers off course, including top-ranked Rory McIlroy.